Curtis Green’s protein feeding experiment in Jack County, Texas has not only created a healthier herd of whitetail deer, it has also provided countless hours of precious father-son time.
50 Years Spanning Three Generations
Curtis Green’s story actually begins 50 years ago when his father knocked on rancher Marvin Jackson’s door to ask permission to hunt quail on his property. The two became fast friends, as did their sons. About three years ago, Curtis and Paul started hunting the ranch again, this time for deer, with their own sons, now ages 11 and 9.
“The area where we hunt is roughly 200 acres of rocky, brushy terrain with native grasses, Post Oaks and a few Mesquite,” says Green. Two ponds provide year-round water and a 10-acre food plot located in the center gets planted each fall. “The first season (2006) the boys each harvested very nice 10 point bucks.”
Protein Feeding on a Low Fence Ranch
Their success prompted Green to do research into protein feeding, food plots and habitat. They purchased three gravity protein feeders and placed them in the center of the property close to dense trees and brush so as to provide cover for the deer. “People told us it would be a waste to feed protein on a “low fence” ranch because the deer would wander onto the neighbor’s property and be taken by others,” recalls Green.
The protein pellets purchased from a local mill dissolved in the rain, clogging the feeders. Then a feed store owner in Jacksboro recommended Purina Mills® AntlerMax® pellets. The pellets withstood moisture and didn’t crumble, so there was very little waste. Green fed AntlerMax from January to September 2007, averaging about 1,500 pounds per month, depending on vegetation. He also purchased two game cameras to monitor the deer and better understand the herd.
Reaping the Rewards of AntlerMax
Youth hunting season started in late October, and “in all my years of hunting in Jack County, I have never witnessed the amount of animals, size and general health to be so good. The whitetail herd was greater in antler size and density. The yearling survival was better than I have ever witnessed and the animals showed no stress from the hot summer and early fall we were experiencing.”
Green and his son were keeping their eyes peeled for a mature 12-point that had been captured periodically by the game cameras. One December morning, the magnificent whitetail deer appeared about 170 yards away. Green’s son Carson, then just eight years old, took his time and harvested the deer.
New Family Traditions
Since that first year of protein feeding in 2006, the Greens and Jacksons have been hooked. “We regularly collect the game camera memory cards and view the animals with our sons. My son’s enthusiasm has extended to reading and watching shows about whitetail deer management. My nine-year-old son can ‘age’ a deer better than most grown men.”
Green says, “People continue to chide me when I tell them we protein feed a 200-acre low fence pasture. What so many people do not seem to understand is providing a quality food supplement and good habitat will keep the animals on this small place. We have not witnessed the loss of any of the trophy or future trophy bucks. We occasionally notice new bucks that appear and stay.”
With drought conditions expected for the remainder of 2009, Green believes it will be more important than ever to protein feed with AntlerMax. “It has not only helped us improve the whitetail deer, but has also helped to create experiences our families will have forever.”
Purina Mills® AntlerMax® Deer & Elk Mineral Supplement
AntlerMax® Deer & Elk Mineral Supplement is a highly researched, loose mineral with proprietary AntlerMax® Mineral Technology. It’s a power-packed nutritional package with ideal amounts and ratios of vitamins and minerals for superior antler density and strength, optimum reproductive performance and healthy calves and fawns.
Now, you may be asking yourself, if supplemental deer feeds contain a good mineral package along with the protein and vitamins that deer need, why feed a straight mineral product such as AntlerMax® Deer and Elk Mineral Supplement?
Well, in a perfect world you wouldn’t need to. But in reality, deer are going to pick and choose what they eat, and some deer may not eat enough of the pellets to provide the full complement of minerals they require. Deer that eat from food plots rather than a pellet program are at the mercy of the soil mineral condition and may need a mineral supplement to ensure optimal nutrition. Using a mineral supplement gives you one more tool to use in your feeding program to make sure your deer are getting the best nutrition you can give them. And awesome nutrition delivers awesome antlers.